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Running and Random Thoughts for Today.

I got in a few miles this morning under the cloudy skies…the rain we have been having the past few days has slowed down and sun was peeping through a bit. Love when that happens.

This week I will be scaling back the miles a bit in preparation for Sunday’s half marathon! The Hottest Half…it has been a few years since I’ve done this race. AND…it has been since JUNE since I’ve actually run a race, period. You can see the recap of that one here. Can you believe it? Not like me to not be all race crazy.

OK…I’m going to let you in on my thoughts a bit since I feel like I know you all pretty well. Because we’re cool like that, right? Right. Well here are some random thoughts for today. I try not to be really hard on myself when it comes to running. I have been running long distances for over 5 years now (and as most of you know, in October I will be running my 11th full marathon!! Which I’m really excited about and thankful for the opportunity). I know how our bodies have their highs and lows. I just think that you should be proud of every day when you have the opportunity to just RUN.

Whether it’s fast, or slow, or whatever. Honestly…I kind of get annoyed when I see runners being so hard on themselves. I mean, you know…I get it…push yourself always to go harder/faster/stronger is the mentality of most runners, but still. Some (read: MOST) days I am hard on myself…with my pace, the amount of miles I run and etc. This lady’s post kind of explains my feelings perfectly. I ALWAYS feel like I could go faster…and do MORE. But…it really is not fair to you and you are doing yourself a disservice if you beat yourself up and tear yourself down all the time. Not to say that you shouldn’t push your body and push your limits…but there’s a fine line and often overdoing things will lead to overtraining, injuries, and just unhealthy thinking.

But I digress…now you know my feelings…I try not to worry about things that are out of my control.

Anyway…as far as the race goes…It should be a good one…although I am a little nervous. I don’t really perform well with the heat and humidity and just racing in the summer…period. Fall and winter is when I start picking up the pace and running well. So we’ll see.

After that…it will be time to ramp mileage back up and I’ll be knocking out a handful of 18 and 20 milers in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

19 thoughts on “Running and Random Thoughts for Today.”

Hey!! Great post!! It’s nice to get to you know you on a more personal level!! Thanks for sharing!!
I’m not hard on myself in workouts. I allow my body to push whatever pace it can (whether it hits goal paces for speed work, etc.). I get really nervous before races, but I’ve always been like that (since a young athlete). I’m definitely working on it, but it definitely takes practice and patience.
The beautiful thing about athletics is that everybody has different approaches to workouts and competition and it seems that we all go through these fantastic journeys that transform us into amazing, strong people.
Have a fabulous day!! XOXO!!

Wonderful post! It is so refreshing that you are cool with your goals and not pushing your body, but enjoying the sport. I have a tendency to do this and it’s not good. Just last week I was beating myself up over pull-ups. I had to stop myself and think my body will let me know if and when I am able. You have made some impressive runs, girl!

Thanks for lettin’ us in on your thoughts. It’s true – for some reason, I think running is one of those sports where it’s so difficult NOT to always push (or over-push yourself). I remember when I first started, I would start on the ‘mill with one goal, and end up with an entirely different/much more challenging goal before I finished. Lol! You should def. not beat yourself up though – you’re one of the most consistent, Fantastic runners I know (via the blog world)! And that’s saying a lot, since I follow a bunch of runner/bloggers. 😉 And LOL had to laugh at this – “AND…it has been since JUNE” (since your last race). That was only 2 short months ago, lol. But I do understand, that’s a long time for you. Best wishes on the Marine Corp Marathon!!

I am EXACTLY like you! I’m really hard on myself because I think I should be pushing myself more or running farther or be as fast as someone else. It’s so hard to not do it! I try to take some time to put it into perspective and realize all that I am capable of doing, but it’s hard some days. I don’t have any fall races on my schedule yet, but I need to start adding some before the season is over!

I needed this. Thanks so much for this reminder. And good luck with your race–I’m sure you will be fabulous! My fall marathon training is going really well! I’m trying hard to hold back my pace and effort since lately my legs want to run faster than my lungs will allow. I am very hard on myself when it comes to training, but I’ve been working really hard on cutting myself some slack. 🙂 Thanks again for the great post!

It sounds like you have a super smart approach to running. I used to think that every run had to be harder than the last one – all that did is cause me to have injury after injury!
I’m hoping that the weather isn’t too hot this weekend for you.